How to set up and run

MS MPI using MS Visual

Studios
With Lots of Pictures!
~Michael Puthawala
Preliminaries, references

For a basic tutorial on coding with MPI, check this tutorial at LLNL.
Here is another, shorter tutorial on compiling and running a simple MPI
program using MS-MPI.
Here is a link to the download page for MS-MPI.
If you are just looking to download MS MPI and smpd, then you can download
them here. If you are feeling saucy, then you can also download the entire MS
HPC (high performance computing) pack cluster, but you wont need most of
1
it if you just want to run and debug simple MPI programs.
Finally, here is a link to a forum where you can post questions/problems with
your MPI code. The is the official support forum for people using MS MPI.

1 But make sure that you have EXACTLY 1 version of MS MPI installed in either way! If you install both MS MPI and MS
HPC you risk having problem further down the line (see slide 7)
Setting up a native tools command
prompt.
In order for this to go smoothly, its useful to have access to a windows
command prompt, with the proper configurations.
This part will guide you through this process.
You can try and use your own cmd.exe. If you dont configure it properly,
windows will think that you are a plebeian user, and wont give you access to
some powerful commands that you want.
The following will let you open a command prompt that is properly configured
for your super-user needs.
Setting up a native tools command
prompt.
Open MSVS, and to go tools ->
External Tools
Setting up a native tools command
prompt.
Click Add, and fill in the following
fields:
Title: VS 2015 Native Tools-
Command Prompt [or whatever else
you want your tool to be called]
Command:
C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe
Arguments: /k "C:\Program Files
(x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio
14.0\Common7\Tools\VsDevCmd.bat

Initial directory: $(SolutionDir)
Setting up a native tools command
prompt.
Now, you should have a new option
under Tools. Running your new tool
will open a command prompt which
is properly configured.
Take this opportunity to make sure
that mpiexec is in your systems
path
Type mpiexec into the command
prompt, and make sure that you see
something like the following
Setting up a native tools command
prompt.
You should also take this
opportunity to make sure that you
have exactly one version of mpiexec
and smpd installed.
Type where mpiexec and where
smpd in the command prompt and
make sure that you get 1 result.
If you have more than 1 version
installed, uninstall one or risk a
version mismatch.
Configuring your system PATH variable

If you instead see something like

this on the right, then msmpi isnt
in the default path for your
command prompt.
Configuring your system path

There are lots of ways to fix this, but

one easy ( and permanent way) to fix
this, is to go to control panel ->
system -> advanced system properties
-> environment variables and add
C:\Program Files\Microsoft MPI\Bin to
your PATH variable.
If you dont have a PATH, then you will
need to make a new one
If you already have a PATH variable,
and dont want to change it, you can
add a new path with a ;
Then, restart MSVS and try running
mpiexec again.
Configuring your system path

You should have some important

system variables set, namely
MSMPI_BIN, MSMPI_INC, MSMPI_LIB32
and MSMPI_LIB64.
These should have been set when
you installed MSMPI.
Setting up your first MPI Program

Make sure to #include mpi.h at

the top of your program.
Setting up your first MPI Program

Next, go into Project -> properties -

> c/c++ -> All options and add
$(MSMPI_INC); $(MSMPI_INC)\x86 to
your addition include directories.
Note, if you are using a 64 bit,then
replace $(MSMPI_INC)\x86 with
$(MSMPI_INC)\x64
Setting up your first MPI Program

Next, go to Project -> Properties ->

Linker -> All options and add
msmpi.lib; to the Additional
Dependencies and $(MSMPI_LIB32)
to Additional Library Directories.
Again, if you are using 64 bit, then
replace $(MSMPI_LIB32) with
$(MSMPI_LIB64).
Setting up your first MPI Program

Copy the code on the right into your

empty project, and make sure that
it builds.
Setting up your first MPI Program

Open up for fancy command

prompt, cd to the project directory,
and run mpiexec on your new
program!
Setting up your first MPI Program

You can run your code with more

processes by including n # where #
is any natural number.
If you dont specify how many
processes to create, MPI will
automagically choose the number of
processes, to be the number of
cores available to you.
Setting up 2 click MPI

If that process of opening up a new

command prompt is too much work
for you, then you can add another
external tool which will
automatically run any of your
projects with mpiexec.
Setting up 2 click MPI

Add a new tool, and specify it using

the following:
Title: MS MPI
Command:
$(MSMPI_BIN)mpiexec.exe
Arguments: $(TargetName).exe
Initial Directory: $(BinDir)
Also, make sure that the close on
exit button is unchecked.
Setting up 2 click MPI

Now if you want to run your MPI

Progam, you just have to build it,
and then click Tools -> MS MPI
Conclusion

MPI is very powerful, fun to program with, but a pain in the ass to install and
get working on your first project.
Hopefully this tutorial make the process of installing/configuring/using MSMPI
slightly less terrible.
If you have any questions, or this tutorial helped you in some way, dont be
afraid to let me know at michaelputhawala@gmail.com